Burrow Hill. This medium-dry cider is a blend of 11 varieties of vintage cider apples, including Harry Masters Jersey, Brown Snout and Stoke Red. Burrow Hill ciders are made by The Somerset Distillery. No artificial nitrogen is used to grow the apples, and traditional fermentation methods are used. A high proportion of the apples used in the cider are grown in the Burrow Hill orchards.

Summer, if we get one, is the perfect time for a chilled glass of the pink stuff, so here’s our pick of the finest current vintage of rosés from around the world.

N.V. Laurent-Perrier Rose. Pale salmon color. Brisk, pinot-like aromas of raspberry, strawberry, smoke, toast and honeysuckle. Bright and frothy in the mouth, with vibrant, firm-edged red berry flavors that call to mind a Russian River Valley pinot noir. A real fruit bomb, but dry and brisk on the back end.

2008 Shafer Chardonnay Red Shoulder Ranch. An an irregular year for North Coast Chardonnay, Shafer’s 2008 Chardonnay Red Shoulder Ranch is a winner. Elegant notes of orange blossoms, nectarines, pears and honeysuckle jump from the glass of this crisp, medium-bodied, richly fruity wine. Fresh, lively and flavorful, this impressive Chardonnay can be enjoyed over the next 2-3 years.

Quite rich and round (compared with the Bourgogne Blanc tasted immediately beforehand!) though actually there is masses of acidity here. I think you’ll have to wait quite a while for it to blossom.

Original is everything a cider should be, its deep full flavour making it a great all round drink. Winners of the 2009 CAMRA National Cider and Perry Championship, Gwatkin ciders have attracted attention in celebrity circles too, with Oz Clarke describing their perry as “smashing”.

This medium perry is made from the juice of Blakeney Red pears, which take their name from the parish of Blakeney in Gloucestershire. The trees grow tall, their fruit is harvested by shaking it to the ground with long poles. The juice makes a full bodied, well balanced perry.

This medium perry is made from the juice of Blakeney Red pears, which take their name from the parish of Blakeney in Gloucestershire. The trees grow tall, their fruit is harvested by shaking it to the ground with long poles. The juice makes a full bodied, well balanced perry.

Bramley and Gage Slider. The small family firm of Bramley & Gage has been making liqueurs for over 20 years. All their products are handmade from whole fruit sourced as locally as possible. This sloe and cider liqueur is made with sloes that have been used to make sloe gin, infused in Devon cider. Ther esult has flavours of apples, sloes, and gin, and was described as “delicious” by Marco Pierre White

2005 Bonneau du Martray Corton-Charlemagne. A ripe and classic nose of distinctly discreet and reserved green fruit and floral aromas that are airy, pure and lightly spiced merge into intense, precise and penetrating medium full flavors blessed with terrific acid/fruit balance and huge length. This is really a lovely wine that is presently a tightly coiled spring and in need of extended bottle aging to really put on display the superb potential here.

2009 Francois Cotat Chavignol Rose.

2005 Paolo Scavino Barolo. The 2005 Barolo reveals an expressive core of perfumed red raspberries, spices and sweet herbs. This sexy, elegant wine possesses lovely balance and tons of style. Over the last few years the house`s Barolo has established itself as one of the most consistently outstanding wines in its class. The 2005 is simply delicious and highly recommended.

Still in barrel, this Chateau d’Yquem look-alike exhibits powerful creme brulee characteristics along with some volatile acidity, huge, full-bodied, unctuously textured flavours, ample intensity as well as purity, and caramelized tropical fruits. This brawny heavyweight requires 5-6 years of bottle age, and should evolve for three decades.